I haven’t posted anything crocheted in a while, so I thought I’d write about this floral, sparkly vest I made a few years ago. I think it was one of the first non-shawl/hat/scarf garments I ever made.

The pattern is called Stella, and it’s in the book Convertible Crochet by Doris Chan. I love this book. It’s full of motifs that are beautiful on their own and many ways to assemble them into amazing pieces. Doris Chan’s patterns are very clearly written, easy to follow, and fun to crochet. I definitely recommend her books (I also own Crochet Lace Innovations).

I used this sparkly yarn to add some flare (in purple topaz, copper, garnet, topaz, and moonstone). It’s a cheap-ish acrylic yarn available at large craft stores – I think I got it at Michaels. I especially enjoy the brown yarn with copper metallic! The open motifs of the pattern don’t require much yarn, so I’d probably opt for a more interesting specialty yarn if I were doing it over. A solid colored vest with a few motifs in a very bright or glittery yarn could be really beautiful and unique.

Join-as-you-go motifs are really great because there’s no arduous sewing and weaving in ends to get through after you’ve finished the actual crocheting. It does require forethought and attention to the pattern, however, so that you attach the motifs where you’re supposed to and not elsewhere. This particular pattern consists of hexagonal motifs assembled into a large hexagon with the top and bottom removed. The armholes are created by not joining a few motifs in the middle.

I’ve been mostly focused on knitted pieces recently, but this piece reminds me that crochet lace is just so beautiful! Also the whole concept of motifs and working from the center out favors crochet over knitting so much. I’ll probably never be able to choose a favorite craft! Do you prefer knitting or crocheting?